Fraunhoferdenkmal

The Fraunhoferdenkmal stands in Munich’s Maximilianstraße, east of the Museum Fünf Kontinente. It honours Joseph von Fraunhofer, the German optician who lived from 1787 to 1826. The monument was commissioned in 1865 by King Maximilian II of Bavaria. The sculptor Johann Halbig designed it in the classical style. A bronze statue shows Fraunhofer in an open coat beside a telescope. In his left hand he holds a prism, a key tool from his work. The bronze figure rises from a stone pedestal inscribed with his name on the front. On the back, the words record that King Maximilian II had it erected. The design reflects Fraunhofer’s contributions to optics and astronomy. His discoveries helped map the dark lines in the solar spectrum. The monument links Munich’s scientific past with its royal history. Visitors find the statue set against the museum’s façade in a quiet corner of the street. The open coat and telescope convey Fraunhofer’s role as both scholar and craftsman. The prism in his hand recalls his precision instruments. The inscriptions on the pedestal frame the figure clearly. The classical lines of the sculpture blend with the surrounding architecture.